Common Sense Media Review
By Susan Faust
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Rollicking true tale of a convoluted scam in the Wild West.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Two miners walk into an office and hand a bag of uncut gems to a San Francisco businessman for safekeeping in DIAMOND FEVER! The miners won't tell where they found the diamonds. A secret! And there's a warning for the businessman: Don't tell anyone what's in the bag. Of course, he does, and from then on diamond fever is full blown. Wealthy businessmen and bankers, a U.S. senator, swindlers, Confederates, pirates, bank robbers, everyday investors, a usually reliable mining engineer, prospectors, and a careful geologist all get involved. Where is the diamond field? How do folks get a piece of the action? Those are the big questions until the keen geologist gets suspicious about the miners' claims. He shows the "superpowers of science ... to overpower greed and lies" and prove they "salted" the field. He uncovers the hoax and saves the country from financial disaster. Back matter includes an epilogue with short updates on what happened to the perpetrators (no one goes to jail) and the hero. The epilogue also references modern scams including Madoff and internet offers. "If it sounds too good to be true, it is," Sheinkin counsels. Also in the back matter: an author's note, source notes, a bibliography, and an index. A helpful key is provided at the outset for the large cast.
Is It Any Good?
A gigantic but little-known hoax in the early 1870s out of San Francisco turns into a rollicking yarn and a useful cautionary tale. In Diamond Fever! it comes out that two miners perpetrated a scam so clever as to fool almost everyone. Turns out that the miners "salted" a mine field with diamonds and set off a new rush for riches. Author Steve Sheinkin does a masterful job of researching what happened in public and private, and he retells a convoluted story with clarity and wit. Black-and-white comic sequences add visual detail, even melodrama. The villains look dastardly! Beyond the wild story itself, Sheinkin shows why people failed to see the scam and how "science superpowers" and critical thinking skills ultimately saved the nation from financial disaster. There are relevant lessons in this unusual slice of history for today.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Diamond Fever! and think about why many characters in the story are dishonest. What motivates them? Do you know of people who lie and have trouble telling the truth? How does lying affect their lives and the people around them?
One character in the story is a hero: the geologist who takes risks to pursue the truth. He and his team show courage enough to uncover the hoax. What do you think motivates them?
There are comic book sequences in the book. Are you a fan of graphic novels? How do you feel about the combination of text and graphic art?
In the end, this book is about scams and how to avoid them. Do you think you learned something about critical thinking skills and science "superpowers" from this story? How might they help you in the future?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jon Chad
- Genre : History
- Topics : Adventures , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity , Teamwork
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date : May 12, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 244
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : June 29, 2026
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